New Media @ Stiftsschule Amöneburg

PAST:

After having read the new blog task, which included the sentence “remember if and how your teachers included the New Media in the classroom”, I thought: “That is easy, because I made my Abitur in 2006 and you do not forget everything in two years time.” But then I started thinking … and I could barely remember any use of New Media at my old school. Maybe it is my fault and I am simply oblivious. So I called my friend Lorena and asked her. Her answer did not surprise me. So I guess if we both can not remember it there was not too much of it, right?

My teachers almost never used the New Media. They were very close to their old friends Mr. Blackboard and Mrs. Overhead transparency. So they rarely used a PowerPoint presentation in class. The only ones who did use it were students who wanted to impress the class and especially the teacher to get a better grade. Those students spent hours at home to prepare such a presentation because they did not learn anything about it at school. My teachers used to say: “A PowerPoint presentation would be nice, but it is not necessary to get a good grade.” But of course the pupils who did one were praised for their effort. There were also exceptions to the norm. Some teachers, mainly the younger generation, tried to include the New Media. Sometimes my whole class moved to the computer room (Yes, we had one!) and our whole lesson took place in front of a computer. Then the teacher gave us for example a certain research task and helped us finding information. But as already mentioned, that was the exception of the rule. So far my own memories…

PRESENT AND FUTURE:

I did some research on http://www.stiftsschule.de/ to find information about the situation today. Unfortunately I could not find a lot of information about my topic. I have read something about a “media” project and thought that I have found something about the use of New Media in class. I was wrong. The focus of the project was on television. The pupils had to make films about the negative effects media can have. The internet was not mentioned here at all.

So I asked my sister, who still attends my old school and will make her Abitur next year and some friends. I want to make clear that not everything mentioned here is true for every teacher at Stiftsschule Amöneburg.

They told me that there has not been a big change since I have left. The school’s equipment concerning computers is composed of one lab with 16 computers and one computer room with eight computers. The lab can only be used by teachers for lessons or AGs because it is locked and only teachers have a key. The computer room is intended for “Oberstufenschüler” only. It is not locked. They spend their free lessons there to chat or surf around in the Internet. For the amount of almost 1500 pupils these computers are not too many, right? And if two teachers want to use the lab at the same time they have to arrange somehow, because there is only one.

Unfortunately the number of computers did not change, but at least there are more and more beamers available in the classrooms. But according to my “informants” they are barely used by anyone.

There is the opportunity to participate in so-called computer AGs. Those were also offered when I attended this school. You can learn the basics of computer usage like “Word” or “Excel”. A big disadvantage of those AGs is that they take place in the late afternoon after the normal lessons. Most pupils do not have the time or they simply do not feel like attending additional lessons. So they do not occupy this opportunity.

Summarizing my blog, I think my old school could do a lot more concerning the use of New Media in class. The teachers use them rarely and if, almost unexceptionally for presentations or research. Of course there are some “reasons” the teachers would probably mention, like “pupils do not do what they are supposed to”, “it is very time consuming” or “the lab is always occupied”. Which “reason” do you like best? Pick one!